Darling
by comealongpond
Summary: When Rapunzel has a tough time adjusting to her new life in the castle, Eugene tries his best to make things easy for her.  But there are some issues that even he can't solve.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Should I be starting another story? Probably not, but I did it anyway. I'm writing this for a few reasons. One, because I think Rapunzel would have a lot of emotional problems when adjusting to her new life. Two, because I've been having a lot of feelings lately, and I thought putting some of my problems into characters might help. Enjoy.**

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><p>Rapunzel was often perceived as a bubbly and happy young woman. Being a princess, it was sort of part of the job requirement. All she had to do was smile, wave, and look happy in front of her subjects. If only it were that simple.<p>

It was fine at first, until the stress started to set in. Rapunzel didn't know how to be a princess. It was quite different than what she had imagined. She managed to keep a cheery disposition around other people, but when she was alone, fears would creep up inside her, whispering to her, like a parasite she couldn't eliminate, telling her she wasn't ready for this. One of the first things they told her, after the initial week of partying was over, was that she would have to take lessons sometime. The thought had never even occurred to her before. It made sense, of course, but when she imagined being a princess, she hadn't really thought about…that aspect.

She suspected the lessons wouldn't be as bad as they sounded. Rapunzel was very curious and she loved learning new things – even the boring subjects. She just hoped that they wouldn't take up her time. In her tower, she had had unlimited time to do anything she wanted. If she didn't complete something she wanted to do, it was no big deal, because she could just do it the next day. But here, things were different. Here, she had to comply with everyone else's schedule. She always had things she had to attend and places she needed to be – mostly introducing herself to various townspeople, or meeting with her parents, who were slowly teaching her how to act like a royal. She wished she could just do whatever she wanted.

Through all the changes, Eugene was the one thing that kept her sane. No matter what, he was always there for her. A few minutes of talking to him and she would forget about all of her worries. After he had brought her home, the King and Queen had cleared him of all criminal charges and let him live in the castle. Rapunzel was very happy about this – she loved him so much and spending time with him was the best thing ever. As long as he was here, she told herself, everything would be okay.

* * *

><p>One afternoon, about three weeks after Rapunzel had been living in the castle, she and Eugene were sitting in the garden. It was a lazy kind of day. The summer sun was beating down on them as strong as ever, but it wasn't altogether unpleasant. Bees and other insects buzzed around the garden, but kept a good distance from the princess and her beloved. Rapunzel happened to feel rather relaxed.<p>

She was currently looking at all the flowers planted along the perimeters of the small garden courtyard and showing them to Eugene. She was fascinated by the garden. She had always loved plants, but it was pretty hard to grow them in the tower. They definitely grew much better in actual soil. Crawling over to a patch of purple and yellow flowers, she grinned and pointed to them. She immediately started talking about them – she knew everything; the Latin name, what parts of the year they grew best in, what climate they were adapted to… And she did this for every single kind of flower they came across. Eugene got the impression that she _may_ have read her botany book one too many times.

After they had covered almost the entire garden, Rapunzel sighed and leaned against Eugene. She was feeling tired. The sun has that effect on people, sometimes. Looking at the girl in his arms, Eugene absentmindedly stroked her short brown hair. "So, which flower is your favorite?" he asked softly.

Rapunzel contemplated this, her eyes focusing on nothing as she thought. "Hmm, these ones," she said, a faint smile coming over her as she indicated the light pink flowers nearest to them.

Eugene smiled and reached forward, plucking one of the flowers from the ground. Rapunzel was mildly agitated at the fact that he had moved and she had to sit up straight again. Then, upon seeing what he did, she very much wanted to scold him for killing that flower, but perhaps that wouldn't be a very nice thing to say. Instead she stayed quiet as he tucked the flower behind her ear. She blushed and looked down as he did so.

"For you, Flower," he whispered into her ear, smiling as he pulled back a little. She looked even prettier with that flower in her hair.

Rapunzel laughed softly, almost like she forced herself to, but her smile faded as she kept her head down. A feeling of dread spread over like wildfire, and she felt frozen. "Please don't call me that," she said quietly. Something had overcome her and she couldn't bring herself to look at him right now.

"Why?" Eugene asked, a bit concerned. He was always calling her cute nicknames. Usually she liked them. But he could tell that he had obviously done something wrong here.

Rapunzel took a deep breath, on the verge of tears. How was she supposed to explain this? "Because, I haven't been called that since…" All at once, horrible thoughts invaded her mind. Gothel falling out the window and turning to dust; memories of she and Gothel in the tower… Everything about that horrible woman was rushing back to her at once.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene asked, bending down a little bit so he could see her face. She looked…quite distressed. "Rapunzel, are you okay? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – "

"I'm okay. I just, I…have to go," Rapunzel said, not looking at him as she quickly stood up and started walking back to the castle, her face covered with her hand. Eugene was pretty sure he heard her sobbing. And his heart sank.

"No, Rapunzel – " he said, standing and starting towards her, but giving up when she began to walk faster. She was back inside now and she obviously didn't want him around her. But he couldn't just let her leave. She had been so happy and then he ruined it. He had to go apologize.

But then again, what had he done wrong? He called her "Flower" and that seemed to spark something in her. But what did it mean? Why was that important? He tried to think, resting his thumb and forefinger on his temples, trying to make some sort of connection… Flower… From what he understood, that's how Rapunzel got her magic hair. He had just been a little kid when the Queen was sick, but he could remember how all the townspeople were searching for that magical, golden flower that they eventually found. No doubt the magic of the flower was what caused Rapunzel's hair to possess such healing powers. What else was there? Well, she liked flowers… So it wasn't anything about the actual word, more the fact that he called her that.

Sighing, Eugene started walking towards the castle, rather slowly. Rapunzel shouldn't have gotten that upset. He didn't like the idea that something so simple could upset her that much. Had he upset her before and just not knew it? He knew she could pretty emotional at times, but he wished she wouldn't.

Next thing he knew, he was in the hallway, not quite sure where he was going, until he ran into the King and Queen. Seeing them, he slowed down, awkwardly giving something of a bow, which was more of a nod of his head. He was never sure how to greet them. They were his rulers, after all, but saw them just about every day. He mumbled some sort of hello, not sure whether to keep walking or to stay and talk.

"Good afternoon, Eugene. Where's Rapunzel?" the Queen asked.

"Rapunzel?" Eugene felt immediately guilty. It was an unspoken rule that Eugene kept tabs on Rapunzel, since she was always flitting from place and place, and he was one of the only people who could keep track of her energy. "I'm not really sure." He was stuttering now. He assumed she had been going to her room, but he didn't know for sure. What if she wasn't there? He wasn't even sure how long ago she had run off. Five minutes, ten?

"You don't know?"

The King's worried tones made Eugene feel even worse, so he explained himself. "She was with me a little while ago," he said, his hand jabbing in the general direction of where the garden was. "We were looking at flowers. But she got sad and ran inside."

Rapunzel's parents looked skeptical and confused, and Eugene realized that he really shouldn't get them worried about something that had nothing to do with them. "Look, I'll go to her room now and check on her."

The King and Queen reluctantly agreed to this, and, telling them everything was under control, he laughed awkwardly and started walking to her room. Now that he had a solid sense of direction, he knew where he was going, and it only took him a minute or two to reach her bedroom. He knocked lightly before opening the door. It was unlocked. There was a brief moment of fear as he took this to mean she might not be in here, until he recalled that her door usually seemed to be unlocked. He had to wonder if she had even had locks in the tower at all… Probably not.

Scanning the room, he didn't see her. It was a large room, though, with a huge bed and a couch and a couple of chairs. As he walked farther in, he didn't find her in any of these places. Great, he'd lost the princess…he'd lost the Lost Princess… "Rapunzel?" he asked, desperately wishing for a reply, because it would be hell to tell the King that he wasn't sure where his daughter ran off to.

He heard a slight rustling coming from her closet. Really? She was in there? What a stupid place to hide. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a chair facing the closet. "Rapunzel. You have one minute to get out of there."

She appeared a few seconds later, standing in the doorway of her large closet. Her eyes were puffy and a little red, so she was obviously still crying. Her hair looked slightly disheveled and she avoided his gaze, looking ashamed of herself. "You don't have to boss me around like that, Eugene. I'm not a child."

Boss her around? He didn't – well, sure, he was a little forceful with her sometimes, but only because it worked. She was pretty obedient and did what she was told. Giving her an order was the only way to be sure she would do what you asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he said. Not a lie. "Are you alright? You really scared me out there." Also not a lie. He didn't know what was wrong and that worried him.

"Yeah, just fine," Rapunzel said, nodding. He noticed that she still wasn't looking at him.

"Do you want to tell me what really happened out there?" Eugene ventured.

She shook her head. After thinking and taking a deep breath, she decided that at least kind of telling him would be better than leaving him completely in the dark. Then maybe he would leave her alone. She didn't want him to stress about it, either. "It's just, that's what Gothel used to call me. Flower. And when you said it, it…bought back memories…"

Eugene frowned and walked over to her, taking her hands in his. Gothel was always a difficult topic. They had never talked about it too much. He couldn't stand the way she had treated Rapunzel. He was trying to get to her to forget about Gothel and accept her new parents, but he wasn't sure if that was working. "I'm sorry. She's not going to hurt you ever again, okay?" He kissed her forehead.

Eugene didn't understand that there was more than one reason that Rapunzel was upset. It wasn't just that she was scared of the way Gothel mistreated her, but she missed her. She hated that she was dead, that she didn't have her anymore… Even if Gothel had been a terrible mother, she was still just that – her _mother_, whether it was all a lie or not. Assuming that no one would understand this, Rapunzel hadn't told anyone how she felt. She knew that she was supposed to be relieved that Gothel wasn't in her life anymore, and she was, it was just…sometimes she felt differently…

"Would you like to go to library or something before dinner?" Eugene asked softly, still holding her close. It seemed like a good way to cheer her up.

"Mhmm. I'd really like that," Rapunzel said, allowing herself to smile a little bit.

Throughout the rest of the day, Rapunzel acted like nothing had ever happened and tried to forget the whole incident. Neither she nor Eugene brought it up again. As long as she pretended like nothing was bothering her, she would be fine. That was her plan, anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

Gothel always invaded Rapunzel's mind much more often than she liked.

In the first few weeks back, Rapunzel had nightmares almost every other day. More often than not, Gothel was in them. Sometimes they were a more horrible replaying of the events that happened in the tower – in the nightmares, Eugene usually wasn't saved – but sometimes she would imagine that Gothel came back entirely.

Those were the ones that scared her most. Rapunzel would usually wake up before anything too terrible could happen. It would take her a few moments to realize where she was, and then she would take some deep breaths, reassuring herself that it was just a dream, and usually try to fall back asleep, if the thought of doing so didn't horrify her too much.

She only went to Eugene if it was a particularly bad dream. She would tiptoe to his room, sneak in, and crawl up onto his bed, nestling herself into his chest. And he would hold her and mutter consoling things to her until she felt better, and take her back into her room after she fell asleep.

But she didn't want him to worry, so she didn't go to him this time. Besides, the dream wasn't _so _bad tonight. Gothel was in it, forcing Rapunzel to come back to the tower… She couldn't remember any details anymore. But she'd had worse.

Sighing, Rapunzel fluffed her pillow up and plopped her head against it, looking out her window, where she could see the moon and its reflection off the lake. Maybe she should tell someone about her nightmare in the morning. Her parents said she should, because it might help her, but she didn't see the point. Telling someone would just make her look weak, and she didn't want that. On top of that, she would probably be forced to talk about Gothel, and Rapunzel hated talking about Gothel. It was something that she couldn't really describe her feelings about, and no one would understand her if she tried.

The best thing to do, Rapunzel decided, was to pretend that she was fine, that she hadn't been thinking about Gothel at all – even though, in reality, she had been thinking about her more and more during the last couple of days, thanks to that incident in the garden.

Eventually, Rapunzel began to get tired and figured she should probably try to go back to sleep. She tossed and turned for what felt like forever. There was something about this bed that she just didn't _like_. It was huge – a million times bigger than what she needed – and the covers were soft and silky and the pillows had just the right amount of fluffiness to them. It was almost too perfect. At home, in her tower, she had had the same bed her whole life. It was nice, and comforting, but this one… This bed was just too big and fancy for her. It made her feel out of place.

Kind of like how living in the castle in general made her feel out of place.

Her desire to belong somewhere was probably why she liked spending so much time in her closet. The closet, although big (princesses had a lot of clothes), was at least a cozy, confided space where she felt safe. It reminded her of her tower, where all the rooms had small and comforting. Also, no one could bother her in there. No one could scold her about her impeding duties to the kingdom or ask her confusing questions that she didn't have an answer for. She spent so much time alone growing up that she often felt more comfortable in there than anywhere else.

Besides, Rapunzel had a completely new thing to worry about now. And they were called lessons. Even though she had been dreading this a lot, it caught her off guard when the Queen mentioned it one evening.

"You will be starting lessons next Monday, Rapunzel."

"Oh, so soon?" She had been hoping for a bit more time to adjust. "What will they be about?"

"Basic subjects," the Queen replied. "Like math, history, geography… But you will also learn how to behave like a princess."

"Oh." Rapunzel looked down at the tablecloth, studying the pattern on it. The idea of being a princess scared her. Even though she already was one, she had yet to take any action on it. She didn't think she would make a very good princess… "Can Eugene come with me?" It was a foolish question, but she wished he could. She was already seeing him less than she wanted to – he hadn't even been invited to this dinner.

"No. Lessons are only required for royals," the Queen said, smiling mysteriously. Was she implying that Eugene could be a royal someday? The thought both intrigued and terrified Rapunzel, so she decided not to ask any more questions about lessons, and resolved to go straight her closet as soon as dinner was over.

And that's exactly what she did. She brought a candle in with her and read for hours, until she was tired enough that she begrudgingly went to her unwelcoming bed.

This was common practice for her. There were so many books in the library, on every subject she could imagine, and she wanted to read them all. And if she read them in her closet, she didn't have to worry about anyone interrupting her. It was efficient, really. Sometimes she would even bring in snacks with her and have chats with Pascal so she didn't get bored.

It was also a good place to think and sometimes cry, but she never mentioned that to anyone.

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><p>A few days after what happened in the garden, Rapunzel was in her closet when she heard a knock on her door. She rolled her eyes and gave the chameleon on her shoulder an annoyed look. People weren't supposed to knock on her door – not when she was hiding. Well, she might as well wait for them to go away.<p>

"Rapunzel!" Eugene said. He had noticed the change in Rapunzel's behavior, and he couldn't help but blame himself. Surely he was the reason that she stayed in her room more, that she hadn't been hanging out with him as much, that she was acting weird. She had acted so peculiarly on that day in the garden, and he needed to make sure she was alright.

Rapunzel panicked for a moment. She hadn't seen Eugene all day. A part of her really wanted to see him, but at the same time, she felt guilty about acting strange and she didn't want to deal with explaining it. "Rapunzel's not here!" she called, picking up her book again.

Eugene laughed at this. Sometimes she just behaved so…childish. It was to his advantage sometimes. Coming into her room, he sighed when she realized she was in the closet. "Are you going to come out or do I have to come in there with you?"

"Come in, I don't wanna get up," Rapunzel said. Huh, she was lazy today, she mused as she flipped a page.

"Fine," Eugene muttered. He opened the closet door and went inside, closing it behind him. It was a fairly small space. Her dresses lined the walls, making it difficult for his head not to brush against the various fabrics. The only light was that from her single candle, which she had next to her. Eugene sat down in front of her, crossing his legs. This was…kind of nice. Kind of creepy, too.

"What'cha reading?" was the first question to come out of his mouth.

Rapunzel shrugged. "It's about plants," she replied, placing the book down next to her. She knew she wouldn't be able to read with him here…stupid Eugene…

"Hmm." He picked up the book, looking through the cover and some of the pages. "Why, though? Don't you already know everything about plants? I mean, you had a lot of plant books in your tower, right?" Sometimes he worried about bringing up anything to do with the tower, especially since last week, but oh well.

"Mhmm." Rapunzel nodded. "But I've never read _this _particular book, you see."

"But…there are so many books in the library. Couldn't you find something more exciting than this?"

"I happen to _like _plants, Eugene," Rapunzel said, grabbing the book from him and holding it close to her, protectively. "And besides, I…I'm not ready to read about anything too exciting yet."

Eugene raised an eyebrow, trying to make out her expression in the dim light, but she was looking down and he could barely see. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Rapunzel sighed. Why was she telling him this? She didn't like talking about Gothel… "I mean, Mother only let me read about certain topics. You know, ones that didn't really have to do with _people_, just plain facts. If she ever found something in my books that she didn't like, she would take it away. And, well, reading about things that she wouldn't want me to read about, even if she's not here, just feels wrong…" She hoped that she would be able to get past this sometime soon, but she wasn't ready yet.

Eugene frowned, partially at the fact that Rapunzel was still calling her 'Mother' – he had been trying to get her to stop that – and partially because it wasn't fair to her. She should be allowed to read whatever she wanted. She shouldn't have felt held back by a woman who wasn't even there anymore. "That's understandable, Rapunzel. But that shouldn't stop you."

"I just don't want to do anything wrong…" Rapunzel muttered. Her whole life, she had been very careful not to upset Gothel. It was hard to remember that she didn't have to worry about that anymore. Gothel and all of her rules were nonexistent. Rapunzel could do whatever she wanted. But that was scary, too.

"You have a right to learn about whatever you want to," Eugene said quietly.

"I like plants," Rapunzel repeated sadly. Looking down at the book, she wondered just how much she liked them. She liked all the things she learned about in the tower – cooking, botany, geology, and everything else. But maybe Eugene was right… Maybe she should move on already.

"So," Eugene said after a minute or two, looking at her. "Second time I've found you in your closet. What's up with that?"

Rapunzel laughed softly. "Oh, I, uh, it's nice in here…" she said, trying to smile at him, because she didn't really have a decent answer. Her attraction to the place was something she couldn't really explain.

"Yeah?" He didn't quite understand. But if she didn't want to talk about it, then fine. Maybe it was just one of her weird quirks. "I guess it is pretty nice."

Rapunzel nodded absentmindedly.

"Kind of dark, though." Eugene scooted closer to her. When all else failed, he could usually make her feel better with kissing.

"A bit dark, yes. But light enough to read."

"Maybe you should give your eyes a break," he muttered, blowing out the candle before capturing her lips in the complete darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Rapunzel started lessons that Monday, just like she was supposed to. She became increasingly nervous as the day arrived. She still wasn't used to talking to people other than Eugene and her parents, and although they all said she would do fine, she was still worried that the teacher wouldn't like her. She didn't know how to go to class anyway. Everything she ever learned was self-taught from her books. Sure, Gothel had taught her things too (most of which she was starting to doubt the creditability of as she spent more time in the real world), but all Rapunzel had to do was listen. She heard that in real school, you had to do more than just listen. She heard that you actually had to do _work_. Eugene was very keen on warning her about this the night before.

"Did you even _go _to school, Eugene?" Rapunzel said. He was making her feel even more uncomfortable, and if he was just making this stuff up, she wanted to know.

"Well, I…sometimes went," he replied with a shrug before kissing her forehead and telling her to get some sleep. Rapunzel sighed and crawled under the covers, disappointed that he had to leave. She would feel better if he was here, maybe… But then again, she really had nothing to worry about…

She hoped there was a lot of book reading involved in her lessons.

She dressed the next morning a bit nicer than she usually did. She had a variety of dresses, and her mother had helped her organize them in her closet based on how fancy they were. There were the ones she could wear whenever she wanted, the ones that were very formal and only to be worn on special occasions, and some that were in between. Rapunzel was told that she would soon get even more clothes, because they had took all of her measurements a few days after she arrived, and there were constantly tailors sewing new things for her. Rapunzel wished she could sew her own clothes, like she did in the tower, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to… Perhaps she should ask sometime about getting a sewing machine of her own.

For a final touch, Rapunzel placed her crown carefully on her head. Since they were _princess _lessons, she was supposed to wear the crown during them. Technically, she was supposed to wear it whenever she went to dinner or even went out in the village, but she almost never did. She didn't like the way it felt on her head – she didn't like the way it made her feel _inside_. It just wasn't right. It did look kind of nice, though…

As it turned out, she really didn't do much in her first lesson. Rapunzel walked into the classroom nervously and awkwardly took her seat at the table, looking at who she assumed to be her teacher – a stern-looking, middle-aged woman with her hair pinned up in a tight knot. She looked scary – at least to Rapunzel, who was scared of a lot of people. She introduced herself as Maria, and began to ask questions about Rapunzel's current knowledge.

"How much do you know about the history of Corona?"

"Um…" Rapunzel gave her a little apologetic smile. She knew nothing at all about it.

"I see…" Her teacher made a little mark on the piece of paper she had. "What about manners?"

"Well, I – I think I'm pretty polite. Sometimes I say things I'm not supposed to, but it's always on accident! And I always say thank you." She was rambling, that was for sure. This was a disaster. She looked at her teacher apprehensively, trying to see if she was doing anything wrong. Maria simply glanced at Rapunzel before looking back down at her paper. She didn't look very happy.

She said they would start off with something very simple: introductions. Rapunzel had to pretend to enter the room and practice how to greet someone. Apparently, "hi, I'm Rapunzel!" accompanied by an excited wave was not correct.

At the end of the session, it was decided that she would have lessons every Monday and Wednesday at precisely ten in the morning. Well, that wasn't bad at all. That meant she would still have lots of time to spend with Eugene! Rapunzel grinned and thanked Maria before quickly rushing out of the classroom.

* * *

><p>"Good afternoon, sir." Rapunzel curtsied and looked up at Eugene, her excitement showing through her face, like she wanted him to be proud of her.<p>

"Sir? Just Eugene is fine," he teased, wrapping his arms around her waist in order to pull her closer and give her a kiss.

"Nope," Rapunzel said, smiling as she pulled away from his kiss. "I have to call everyone 'sir' or 'madam' or 'your majesty,' depending on who they are. Since you're not royal, I have to call you Sir Eugene."

"Ah, I see. Alright, Princess Rapunzel. How was class?"

"Oh, it was…good," Rapunzel said, nodding.

With all the worries he knew she had had yesterday, he doubted whether this was true. But he'd play along. "I told you it would go fine."

"I know. I was worrying too much. It was really pretty easy. I didn't even have to do any real learning today! But, but… I'm not sure the teacher likes me," Rapunzel blurted out as they started to walk.

Eugene paused and looked over at her. Someone didn't like Rapunzel? That was the craziest thing he'd ever heard. "I'm _sure _she likes you, Rapunzel. Maybe she just doesn't show it as much as other people you've met."

"No, I don't think she does," Rapunzel said, frowning. "I mean, it must be a nightmare teaching me. I don't know anything!"

"You know tons of stuff."

"Not the stuff I need to learn. She was going over the things she would be teaching me and I hardly knew what any of it even meant."

"Well that's why you're going to lessons. You'll learn it over time. If they expected you to know it already, you wouldn't have to go," Eugene said. "It just comes with living here."

"But it's not fair. Why can't I be like you? You live in the castle and they're not making you go!"

"Because _I'm_ not a princess," Eugene said, poking her nose. "If it's any consolation, I'm sure they would put me in lessons immediately if I married you. But trust me, they're just teaching you how to be a princess. You're not stupid for not knowing that stuff already. None of it is useful in real life."

"But I want to learn useful things!" Rapunzel said.

"Then stick with me," Eugene said, smirking at her. "And I'll teach you everything you need to know."

Rapunzel smiled and followed after him, a skip in her step. She wondered what Eugene could teach her. He had already taught her a lot about kissing.

Rapunzel was thankful that Eugene never really bought up things that happened in the past. It had been a week now since she had started crying in the garden, and he hadn't asked her about it anymore. She kind of wished she could talk about it, but then again, she was glad that she didn't have to, because she knew he wouldn't understand.

Instead, she sat in her room, alone, thinking about what she could do today. She could read, but she had been reading every day. She could paint…it had been a while since she painted. She looked around her room, at the plain, blank walls, a boring off-white shade. She wondered how she had gone so long without painting them. It really made the whole room feel even more unwelcoming than it already did. As she sat there on her too-big bed in her too-big room looking at her too-boring walls, she knew she had to do something about it.

She asked her mother at dinner that night if she could paint on her walls. Instead of looking appalled, like Rapunzel had feared, the Queen simply smiled and said of course she could. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Mother!" Rapunzel said. Then something dawned on her. "But…all of my paint is still back in the tower." Even thinking about the tower spoiled Rapunzel's mood. She missed it and hated it at the same time. But she knew she was never going back, so there was no use thinking about it.

"That's alright. I'll have the servants buy you some new paints," the Queen said, smiling. "You should have them by tomorrow, I think."

"Oh…that works." Rapunzel would have liked to have her old paints, but if it meant going back to the tower, it wasn't worth it. How different could new paints be, anyway?

* * *

><p>Rapunzel was in Eugene's room after dinner, lying on his bed, his arm around her. "Maybe I can help you paint tomorrow?" he suggested. She didn't have lessons again for a couple of days and he wanted to spend a lot of time with her.<p>

"Hmm. I think I'd like that," Rapunzel said. She didn't know Eugene was interested in art. Or was he? He seemed to be "interested" in a lot of the things she liked. She knew he was mostly pretending. But, well…it was nice to have someone to listen to her, even if he was faking his interest.

"You're very good at painting, from what I saw in the tower. I know I might not have been in there all that long, but I did appreciate the things you did with the walls."

Rapunzel blushed. She supposed her paintings were pretty prominent when you entered the tower, but Eugene had never really mentioned it before. Not specifically, at least. "Thank you," she said. Gothel had never praised her on her paintings. She always said it was a waste of time and the things she drew were stupid, since the outside world wasn't anywhere near as beautiful as she portrayed it.

Gothel was wrong, though. The outside world _was _that beautiful. Rapunzel kept quiet as she thought about this. It would be best not to mention Gothel to Eugene… "Maybe…I could paint your walls too?" Rapunzel asked.

"I – maybe," Eugene said, looking around the room. His room was quite a bit smaller than hers, and it had wallpaper. Very expensive looking wallpaper. He wondered whether the King and Queen would approve of taking it down, but he assumed not. "But we'll do your room first, okay?"

There was a reason his room was decorated more than hers was. His was a guest room, and it had been used many times for other people. Rapunzel's room, on the hand, was a room designed for a princess, and no one had ever stayed in it during the whole eighteen years that Rapunzel was missing. Therefore, they hadn't really put a lot of final details on it, since they weren't sure what the princess would like. Eugene was told this when he was given a tour of the castle by the King one day. Rapunzel probably didn't know.

"Okay!" Rapunzel said. She curled up closer to Eugene. "Sounds good, then."

"Yep. And, Rapunzel?"

"Yes?"

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" He had been worried about her lately. She was still new to this life and everything was changing awfully fast for her. Not to mention the various mood swings that he knew she apt to have.

"Hmm…" Rapunzel thought about this. She could tell him about how she missed Gothel, how she wished she was still living in the tower so she wouldn't have to behave like a princess, how she was dreading going to lessons again, how she wondered if her bedroom walls were big enough to paint on… "No, nothing to speak of. If you don't mind, though, I'd like to lie with you a bit longer before going to bed. I'm not really tired yet," she said as she yawned quietly into her hand.

"Of course. No problem." He used his arm to pull her closer to him, kissing the top of her head. He knew she was lying about not wanting to talk. She had to be. Oh well. Relationships took time. Someday, he would get her to open up.


	4. Chapter 4

When Rapunzel woke up the next morning, she was overjoyed to see painting supplies on the floor beside her door. She rushed out of her bed, not even bothering to change from her nightgown, and examined what had been left for her. The servants sure did deliver quickly. Looking through the box, she found several sizes of paint brushes and an array of colors. What caught her eye first was the green. She loved the color green! It was always reminded her of outside, and…grass! Yes, grass, that's what she could paint! Grinning, she opened the top of the green jar and dipped her paintbrush in, ready to paint the lower portion of the walls. She would only do one wall to start with, because perhaps she wouldn't want grass on the other ones.

Wait, wasn't she supposed to wake Eugene up…? So she could paint with him? Oh, well. He probably didn't want to be woken up this early anyway. Shrugging a bit, Rapunzel continued on her painting. The ideas kept flowing to her as she worked, painting whatever came to mind. The grass had led to her creating an entire outside scene, complete with trees, mountains, and a stream. It wasn't until she had already grabbed the grey jar and was making a large vertical figure that she knew just what she was painting. But it was too late to stop now. What did it matter if she drew a picture of the tower, anyway? It would remind her of home. And she needed that in a place like this.

An hour or so later, Rapunzel stopped painting, looking at her masterpiece with a smile on her face. It felt so good to paint again. For the first time since she had been here, she felt almost completely at ease, forgetting all the worries she had, concentrating only on her picture. She felt so much better now that she had expressed herself. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost nine AM. _ Well, time to go wake up Eugene! _she thought as she grinned and stood up, pushing the painting supplies to the corner of the room.

"Come on, Pascal!" she said as the lizard climbed onto her shoulder. "Don't you want to see Eugene?"

Pascal nodded and Rapunzel kissed the top of his little head, leaving her room behind without so much as a second thought to what she had drawn.

* * *

><p>Eugene definitely noticed a difference in Rapunzel's mood over the next couple of days. No longer did she seem to be hiding anything. He could tell the difference when he looked at her – there were no signs of lingering worry or unhappiness that had almost always graced her face before. Instead, she smiled a lot, and her eyes sparkled with innocence in the same way they did when he had first met her.<p>

He asked her why she seemed so happy nowadays, but she just shrugged, giggled, and said she was always happy.

He wondered if this had to do with painting.

"Well, it's my very favorite hobby, you see," she explained one day. "Even more so than reading and cooking. Oh, I really should cook for you again…" And then her face lit up with an idea, and the rest of the conversation was held in the kitchen.

"Because with painting, you really get to express yourself, whereas with my other hobbies…" She paused, rolling a piece of dough into a perfect ball before putting it on the cookie sheet. "They're fun, but you can't let your feelings out in quite the same way you do with painting."

Eugene nodded. This made sense, he supposed. Rapunzel was really a very smart girl. She knew things, she had ideas about life that he had never even considered before. For that reason, he didn't mind listening to her ramble on and on about her interests. Usually, he would learn from something. "So can I see your paintings?" he asked. He was honestly curious about them. She had started a few days ago, but she hadn't allowed him in her room yet.

"Soon," she replied simply.

"But I thought you were going to let me help," he said, pouting a bit, looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. He was mostly faking his desire. He didn't care what activity they did as long as they were together. But he might as well pretend he was interested in painting with her – admitting that he wasn't might hurt her feelings, and it was practically against his nature to do anything to hurt her, even indirectly.

"Well you will!" Rapunzel said, laughing a bit. "Put these in the oven, please," she instructed, pushing towards him the first batch of cookies. "Anyway, I just want you to wait until I'm done before you see it. I'm just putting in the final touches. But I haven't had much time, because of my lessons."

"Oh, yeah, that's right, isn't it? How are your lessons going?" he asked. He hadn't been hearing her talk about them as much. Whether that was a good or bad sign, he wasn't really sure.

"They're going well," Rapunzel said, nodding. She sounded like she was being truthful. "I'm learning a lot of things. We started on history."

Ugh, history. That was not Eugene's favorite topic. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah," she said, shrugging. "It's alright. Some of it is rather boring, but I get to read a lot of passages from this huge book. They're almost like stories! But…less interesting."

He nodded. "Fiction is a lot better."

"So I've heard," Rapunzel said. She paused for a moment. Eugene remembered that she hadn't had access to very many novels in her tower. He would have to read some good ones to her sometime.

"And your teacher likes you?" he asked, because he knew that was one of the things she had been very worried about.

Rapunzel took a deep breath, and then smiled at him. "Yes, I think she does. She's actually very nice. She was probably just surprised by my lack of knowledge about the kind of things she's teaching."

Eugene figured it was something like that. No one could hate Rapunzel, after all. "Well, good luck with everything. I'm sure you'll get the hang of history."

"Of course I will!" Rapunzel said, smiling. "It's really easy. All I have to do is memorize it! I'm _great _at memorizing. Did you know that I can say the alphabet backwards?" This didn't surprise Eugene at all, but just to prove herself, she proceeded to do so three times in a row.

She was very overjoyed when Eugene told her that most of what school was just memorizing.

* * *

><p>One day, Rapunzel decided that she was finally ready to let him inside her room. Making a big deal of it, she slowly opened the door for him, smiling. She still just had the one wall done, but it was at least complete.<p>

What he saw overwhelmed him, because she had definitely gone all out. It was so colorful and so detailed. On one side of the wall there were mountains, painted with all different shades of grey and brown. Moving on, there were trees with such carefully painted leaves that it was no wonder it took her a couple of days to complete it. There were also animals, lots of them – birds, deer, rabbits, snakes, and just about everything else that lived around here. Her hard work really paid off. It looked beautiful.

"The sky was hard to do. I had to stand on a chair," Rapunzel commented. It was difficult to reach high up places now that she didn't have her hair to help her climb.

But Eugene was hardly paying attention to the light blue with all the little puffs of white that represented clouds, of which there was an abundance of near the top of her painting. He was much more interested in the huge tower on her wall – looking like her old tower in every possible way. It frightened him to know that this was what she had been doing. There was absolutely no way that this was healthy – she was supposed to be _forgetting _about her past, not getting caught up in it.

Trying to find words, he tore his eyes away from her wall and turned on her. "It's, um…it's pretty, Rapunzel," Eugene said. "But why did you choose to paint that?"

Rapunzel shrugged. "Well, I didn't really _mean _to, it just happened… But I think it turned out rather well!" She was oblivious to the fact that he was unhappy.

"But, Rapunzel…you…you painted a _tower_. Don't you think that maybe that's not the best way to move on?" Eugene asked.

Rapunzel's eyes narrowed, and he regretted saying anything. "I don't need to _move on_, Eugene. It's not like I'm just going to forget the first eighteen years of my life!"

"No, that's – that's not what I meant," Eugene said, sighing. He always messed up his words when he was fighting with someone. He and Rapunzel rarely argued, and he didn't want to start now. He knew he should stop this before it got out of control. "I just mean…if you keep thinking about the past, how are you going to enjoy yourself in the present?"

"I'm enjoying myself just fine!" Rapunzel said. "In fact, I've been doing even better since I started painting again."

"I know, but…I don't think this good, Rapunzel. I really don't."

"Well. I don't care what you think," Rapunzel said, scoffing and turning away from him.

Great. Now she was mad at him. Why didn't she understand that thinking about the tower was not something she should be doing? In fact, this whole painting was a bad sign. She seemed obsessed with the outside world, which was only natural since she had been locked up for so long, but the thing was, she was acting like it was still something out of reach. It dawned on him that Rapunzel hardly ever went outside – if she did it was only to the gardens, which was still a safely enclosed space. Was she still scared of it? Did she still feel trapped?

"Rapunzel, please, I didn't mean anything bad by it," Eugene said, wanting to make sure she wasn't too angry with him.

"Whatever, Eugene, it's fine," she said with a sigh, that made him think that maybe she wasn't too upset. "Now, if you could leave me alone, it would be much appreciated. I have to study."

"Right, okay. See you later," he said, sighing and leaving the room, wondering whether or not that was a lie

* * *

><p>Later that day, Eugene went to the King and Queen, wanting to tell them about what had happened. After all, they might be able to help more than he could. He sat there in one of their offices, feeling uncertain about what to say, just like he usually felt around them. So far, all he had said was that he wanted to talk about Rapunzel.<p>

"What is it?" the Queen asked in a gentle voice.

"She's, well…she drew a mural of the tower on her wall," he said. Best to just get it out.

The King and Queen's faces were surprised, and he could see the definite worry in their eyes. They felt the same way that he did. The King sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I hoped she had forgotten about that place."

"I know, me too," Eugene said. "The thing is, she's been a lot happier lately… But then something like this happens, and I have to wonder if she's really as happy as she's letting on."

"Has she not been happy before?" the Queen asked.

Eugene shifted uncomfortably, remembering that he hadn't told them about any of the other incidents. "Not always. Sometimes, I'll see her frowning, or hiding in her closet, or nearly bursting into tears without warning…" They looked even more worried now, and he felt guilty. He was getting her parents all worked up about something that might not even be a big deal. "But – but it's fine now!" he said, not wanting them to feel at fault. "She's been normal for the last week or so. But even so, I think she might be hiding something."

"I think you're right, Eugene," the Queen said, sighing. "Perhaps you should talk to her about how she feels being away from the tower. I know she feels more comfortable talking to you than us." He could see the sadness in her eyes – Rapunzel still hadn't expected them fully as her real parents. She didn't quite trust them yet.

"I…don't know if she'll tell me," Eugene admitted. Rapunzel was rather private about her feelings. She was only open about her opinions on silly things.

"Just try, and if she doesn't open up, then we'll try talking to her."

Eugene nodded, and there was a minute or two of silence between them as Eugene thought about this. "Well, thanks for listening," he said, standing up and leaving the room.

Now the question was how he was going to get Rapunzel to talk about this kind of thing. He was already considering just leaving her alone and waiting for this to blow over. But he cared about Rapunzel much too much to just ignore this. He had to take action. He would do whatever it took to fix her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I have not updated this story in forever. I'm sorry. If you're still here, then thanks for sticking around. I really like this story and I want to continue it. It also gets a lot more interesting in this chapter. Please tell me what you think, what you would like to see happen, etc… Much love.**

* * *

><p>"Rapunzel…honey? We need to talk." Eugene stood outside Rapunzel's bedroom, knocking lightly on the door. It was evening. She hadn't shown up for dinner, and Eugene had volunteered to check on her.<p>

"You can come in," came a quiet voice from inside.

Eugene experienced a rush of relief just from hearing her voice. He knew he was worrying too much, but he was often scared that one day he would knock and he wouldn't get a response back. That she'd have run away, killed herself… He pushed the door open and stepped in, quietly closing and locking the door behind him. "Hey," he said gently, smiling at her. She had glanced over at him, her eyes red from crying, but she was hiding them now. She was curled up on top of her covers, clutching her pillow to her chest like a teddy bear.

He walked over to the bed, looking at the wall. The mural of the tower still made him upset whenever he saw it. "Hey, Rapunzel, how are you doing?" he asked, sitting down beside her. He kept his voice soft, like he was talking to a child. He didn't want to make anything worse.

"Eugene…" she muttered, sighing. She scooted farther away from him.

"Why didn't you come to dinner?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"Now, come on. You have to eat," he said.

"There are snacks under my bed," Rapunzel said nonchalantly. "I stock up on them in case I ever don't want to come to a meal."

"Well…okay," Eugene said, "but don't you want to see me and your family?"

"I see you guys all the time."

"Rapunzel, just tell me why you didn't come." Eugene sighed heavily, becoming frustrated but keeping his voice even.

"Because," Rapunzel said, taking a breath. He really hoped that she wouldn't start crying. "Because I'm just not in a good mood, Eugene. I'm sorry, but I'm just…not up for talking to people. I can't go out there and pretend I'm okay when I'm _not._" She sat up, still clutching the pillow. "It's just hard. I don't want to make you unhappy, but I can't lie to you guys either."

"Rapunzel…" he whispered, tucking a bit of her hair behind her hair. She flinched when he did so. "I know you feel that way, but it's okay. I understand. Your mom and dad understand. You don't have to hide it from us."

"_You _understand? How could _you _understand? You haven't had to go through all that I've had to." She laughed bitterly, her eyes cast downward.

"No," he sighed, "I haven't. But it's a big change for me too. I know how you feel." He wasn't used to this new life either. Going from living on the streets to living in a palace was a huge difference. He wondered if she understood that it wasn't just her who was having a hard time.

"They – they expect me to be so…perfect. To live a normal life is hard enough for me, but to be a princess?" She shook her head. "That's…that's too much. I can't be a princess. I don't _want _to be a princess. I never asked for this!" She squeezed the pillow tighter, her hand balling into a fist.

"Well, would you rather still be living in the tower?" Eugene raised an eyebrow. He meant it as a rhetorical question, but just as began answering it himself with a "no, I thought not," Rapunzel let out a scoff and said, "yes!"

What? Eugene paused, his eyes widening. She didn't really mean that, did she? Eugene knew she was crazy, but that was…just not a good sign at all. If she really meant that, then there was something even more wrong than he had thought.

"My life in the tower was so easy," Rapunzel said. "There was only one person I had to worry about impressing. Now I have an entire kingdom."

He could understand her point, sure, but saying she actually wanted to be there was just insane. Who would rather be trapped all alone than living a life where everyone adored you? It didn't make any sense.

Suddenly, an idea came to Eugene. "You know what? If you want to go back to the tower so much, then fine. We're going back."

"Wait, what?" Rapunzel asked. He saw her eyebrows furrow as she let go of the pillow in surprise. "We can't possibly – I don't want to, Eugene!" Her hands grabbed at the ends of hair as she started breathing heavily, appearing to have some kind of mental breakdown.

"Hey," Eugene said, placing a hand on her shoulder. He waited for her to calm down. "Hey. It's gonna be fine. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Rapunzel frowned as he kissed her forehead and exited the room. Go back to the tower? She didn't think she could do that. Sometimes she wished she there still there, but that was different than going _back_. She knew that place would bring up such awful memories. She thinking about it now made her curl up into a ball and wept. But there were only so many things she could get out of, so if Eugene really wanted her to, she would try to go along.

* * *

><p>"Are you ready?" Eugene asked the next morning as he and Rapunzel ran into each other outside of her room.<p>

"Sure," she said. She was just worried about not being _emotionally _ready. "Did you…did you ask my parents about taking me?" She couldn't imagine that they would like the idea.

"Yes, I did," Eugene responded, so plainly that it didn't sound like a lie. "Did you eat breakfast?"

Rapunzel nodded, and Eugene kissed her forehead before taking her head and leading her out of the castle. They were going to the stables to find Maximus, who would bring them to their destination. Rapunzel was glad for this, for she felt very comfortable with Max.

"Eugene," she asked, "has anyone visited the tower except for us?"

"No. Not as far as I know."

Rapunzel tried to mentally prepare herself for that: everyone looking exactly the same as the way she left it, over a month ago.

They both rode on Maximus, Eugene sitting behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as he held onto the reins. It was very comforting to feel him holding onto her.

The time seemed to move too quickly, and before she was ready, they were going under the canopy of ivy that led to her tower. It was strange seeing it, so tall and majestic against the waterfall behind it. It was beautiful, really. Rapunzel hadn't gotten the chance to see the tower from the outside when she was a kid. It was a very strange feeling, to gaze up at it and know that that was where she spent the first eighteen years of her life.

The stairway was open from the last time they had used it. They made their way up in the dark, finally emerging from the trapdoor in the floor of the tower. Rapunzel gasped, her breath stolen away from her as she saw the place she used to call home – the place she _still _thought of as home sometimes.

Eugene and Rapunzel had done little to none cleaning up the last time they were here. The floor was strewn with Rapunzel's hair and littered with glass shards. It was impossible not to think about that day. It was almost too much for Rapunzel to bear. She felt faint, in the same way she did when she found out she was the Lost Princess. Thankfully, Eugene bought up Rapunzel's green chair (the same one she had tied him to) and helped her into it. Getting down on his knees in front of her, he took her hands in his.

"Now, I know you must be feeling a lot of different emotions…" he said. Rapunzel nodded. "But just try to take a deep breath and come to terms with everything. I brought you here so you could get some closure on what happened."

Closure. It sounded so…final. Rapunzel wasn't sure that she could say goodbye to this place forever. Rapunzel brushed his hands away as she stood up, walking slowly across the room. She glanced towards the window, where Gothel had fallen, and tried not to cry. Eugene wouldn't like it if she cried over Gothel.

"I think we need to clean this place," Rapunzel said, trying to be bright. "Would you like to help me?" She walked to her closet and took out her broom and dust pan. She couldn't stand things being dirty, but most of all, she just hated seeing her home look so forbidding.

"Sure," he said. While Rapunzel swept up the glass shards and the dust that had accumulated, Eugene took it upon himself to scrub the blood stains out of the floor from where he had almost died. They didn't talk much as they worked. Rapunzel felt calm, much happier now that her tower was beginning to look better.

"I…I don't really know what to do with the hair," she admitted, after they were done. She had pushed it all against the wall. It was bizarre to look at it. She couldn't help but touch the tips of her current hair as she looked at the mess. That had all been hers. She had had a _lot _of hair. She missed it at times.

Eugene sighed, standing up. "I don't know," he said. "We obviously can't keep it. Although, if you only wanted a small part, I guess…"

"Yeah, that seems like a good idea," Rapunzel said. "And we could get rid of the rest of it – I don't even care how. Make it into wigs or something."

Eugene laughed. He walked over the mass of hair, pulled a knife from his satchel and cut off a small lock, only about five inches long. He put that in his satchel as well. "There. Now you'll have a keepsake." This was so weird, but if it gave Rapunzel closure, he didn't mind.

"Thanks," Rapunzel muttered, kissing his cheek. She put her cleaning supplies away and looked around at the tower, admiring it. It looked welcoming again. She had really missed this place a lot. It was so peaceful compared to the castle.

"So what now?" she asked. It was getting late. If they headed home now, they wouldn't be back until after dinner time. Rapunzel was not looking forward to going back to the Kingdom. It was funny, really. Last time she was here, she had wanted nothing more. "Do we go back?"

"Yeah. You ready? Do you think you got closure?" he asked.

What _was _closure, anyway? Rapunzel couldn't quite be sure. She definitely felt a lot better, but at the same time, she didn't really want to leave. When she had said that she would rather be living in the tower, she was serious. It was strange being here without Gothel – Rapunzel had avoided her pseudo-mother's bedroom entirely – but still, Rapunzel felt more at ease here. More like herself.

"Eugene," Rapunzel said. "Can we stay here, just for tonight? I think it would help me." Honestly, she just didn't want to leave, but she could write it off as a last chance for her to stay goodbye to the place.

"Um…" She could tell that he didn't look all that comfortable with the idea. "Sure, I guess? What about food?"

"Go to the Snuggly Duckling and ask them for some vegetables. I'm sure I can throw something together." Rapunzel shrugged. Eugene still looked unconvinced, but he had no chose but to agree to it.

While he was out, Rapunzel made it her mission to gather together everything that she wanted to take back to the castle whenever they went back. Her paints, her books, her guitar…she hoped they would be able to fit it all. If they weren't able to, then that was just another excuse to come back here again. She smiled.

Feeling rather brave, Rapunzel peeked through the curtain to Gothel's bedroom. She didn't know why she was so nervous. It looked just the same as it always had. Even so, she quickly walked away, pretending it had never happened.

* * *

><p>Eugene and Rapunzel slept in Rapunzel's old bed. As they weren't intending on sleeping there, they had not brought anything to wear. Eugene was still wearing all of his clothes – probably because he didn't want to make Rapunzel uncomfortable in any way.<p>

As she lay curled up against him, he ran his hand up and down her back. "Hun, you can take off your corset, you know. We're the only ones here."

Rapunzel shook her head. "I'm fine," she muttered, though that corset was the main reason she was having so much trouble falling asleep. She knew it would unladylike to undress with him around, even if she put her dress back on over it.

He kissed her forehead softly before they made an agreement to try to sleep starting now. Over time, his breath became slow and even. Rapunzel listened to Eugene's heartbeat and gazed up at the suns painted on her ceiling.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks to anyone reading this…I would love it if you reviewed! Now that I'm free for the summer, I may be updating more often, but who knows? I am still outstandingly lazy. I hope you like the chapter!**

* * *

><p>Rapunzel was cuddled against Eugene when he woke up, like a perfect little doll, so small and breakable, so important to protect. This trip to the tower had made Eugene feel even closer to her than before. Their relationship had always been, well…more serious than just simply "dating." The connection he had with her was something he had never experienced with any other girl, but there was something very personal about going back to her tower with her – a place that meant so much to her, finally away from the guards and the constant watch of people in the kingdom – that caused Eugene to feel even more devoted to her than he already had been.<p>

Their relationship was still in the starting stages, technically. They had only known each for a few months. But regardless, Eugene was sure that they would never be apart. He would be in love with her his whole life.

All the more reason to take care of her – now more than ever, when she needed all the help she could get. It was a big commitment, taking care of a girl so emotionally unstable, but he was ready for any challenge.

He gently tucked some of her hair behind her ear as she slept. A familiar feeling of guilt swept over him, thinking about what he had done to her beautiful, long, golden hair. _It was to save her_, he reminded himself, just like he always did. It was just that…he was sure that Rapunzel wasn't exactly happy about not having her hair anymore, even if she was careful not to mention it around him.

Rapunzel stirred slowly, adjusting herself to get more comfortable. He didn't say anything, just watched her. After a few minutes, Rapunzel detached herself from him and opened her eyes, propping her head up on her elbow. He watched as her eyes registered what she was seeing and a light blush came to her cheeks. She blinked and shook her head, smiling slightly. "Good morning, Eugene," she muttered, looking flustered as she pulled the covers further up.

He cocked his head a bit. Why was she always so embarrassed? It wasn't like they hadn't slept in the same bed before, and they were all alone right now. It wasn't like anyone would find out. "Good morning, Rapunzel," he said back.

Rapunzel moved to get out of bed, but he reached out for her waist, keeping her down. She let him pull her against him. His pressed his lips against hers, kissing her passionately, their mouths melding together perfectly. He cupped her cheek gently, exploring the contours of her mouth that he didn't know at all well enough. Rapunzel dug her fingers into his hair, finally pulling him away. "Eugene," she said softly, something of a moan. She took a breath and rested her head against his shoulder, probably feeling embarrassed again.

"Rapunzel," Eugene said, his arms still around her. He looked at the wall when he spoke, not at her. "Why is it that we don't kiss that often?"

He felt her shoulders shrug a little. "We do," she replied.

"But not like _that_," he said. They did kiss a lot, but usually it was just short, sweet kisses. Rarely anything more. He hadn't really minded until now, realizing how nice it felt to kiss her.

"I don't know," she admitted. "W-we could, I guess."

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said softly, accepting defeat. He was stupid for bringing this up. Of course Rapunzel would do whatever she was comfortable with. He shouldn't be trying to do more than they were ready for, especially considering the state she was in. He sighed and pulled away from her. "I love you," he added, glancing at her as he got up.

* * *

><p>"So, maybe we can come back sometime?" Rapunzel suggested as Eugene packed their things into his satchel. "Like, just to visit?"<p>

"Why?" Eugene asked, raising an eyebrow at her as he threw open the trap door and lowered himself inside.

Rapunzel was glad for the darkness. He couldn't see her face. "Because…I like it here," she said, shrugging. "It's very peaceful. It's my home," she admitted. She felt so much more connected to this place than the castle. The castle was so big and scary and unwelcoming.

"Is it?" Eugene asked, a trace of annoyance in his voice. "We'll discuss it later, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel wondered if they ever would.

* * *

><p>Rapunzel had to begin going to lessons again as soon as they got back – literally. She almost didn't have time to change into a clean dress and put on her crown before rushing off to mathematics.<p>

"It's okay," she assured him as he watched her rush to get ready. "Math is one of my very best subjects. I'm sure I won't need to take more than a few classes of it. I mean, why do princesses need to know math anyway?" She kissed his cheek before running out of the room and down the hall, determined to not be late.

Eugene was glad she was trying to make a good impression, and that she didn't seem too opposed to taking her lessons. That was new. Normally, all she did was complain about them. Left alone in Rapunzel's room, Eugene sat down on the bed. Frankly, he was exhausted. Too much had happened the past day. Going back to the tower had been hard for him, too, not just for Rapunzel. After all, that was the place he died.

Just as he was swallowing back the lump forming in his throat, there was a knock at the door followed by a guard calling softly, "Princess?"

"She's at her lessons," Eugene said, striding to the door and opening it. "What is it?"

The young guard looked surprised to see Eugene there, but he didn't see anything about it. "Her parents wished to speak with her, is all," he said.

"It's quite all right, Francis," came the Queen's voice from down the hall. "I forgot my daughter's schedule. We'll have to do it another time – who are you talking to?"

The guard, Francis, looked embarrassed and sputtered something about Eugene being there. It was then that the Queen came into Eugene's view. He was pleased to see that she looked in good spirits, so he smiled back. The Queen excused the guard and she and came into Rapunzel's room, a look of sadness crossing her face as she saw the mural on the wall. She didn't linger on it, though, and looked back at Eugene. "What are you doing here, Eugene?" she asked pleasantly, but in a way that made him feel like he was doing something wrong.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "I was just hanging out with Rapunzel while she got dressed." He cursed himself internally. That didn't come out how he wanted to.

The Queen walked slowly around the room, touching the book on Rapunzel's dresser, one they had picked up from the tower. "I noticed that you two didn't come back last night."

"Yeah," Eugene said, sighing. "I wanted to come back, but Rapunzel wanted to say, and cleaning the place took a bit longer than we expected it to…" He stood near the bed, his fingers nervously running over the blankets as he spoke.

"I'm not going to come any conclusions, Eugene," the Queen said, "but I would prefer if you didn't spend nights out with my daughter, just the two of you."

Eugene nodded. "Of course, your Majesty. I didn't mean anything bad by it."

"It's one thing that I let you visit the Princess in her room without any guards present," she said, "don't make me revoke your privileges."

"Understood," Eugene said. He wasn't planning on pushing his luck any time soon. "Thank you."

"So I suggest we leave this room for the time being," the Queen said. Eugene was impressed by how calm she acted all the time. She was so kind, but also so terrifying – perhaps that was just because he had gone half of his life being scared of being arrested by her. She and Eugene walked out of the Princess's room and into the hallway. "By the way," she said, "how did your trip go?"

"Uh, good…I think," Eugene said. He still hadn't completely wrapped his head around it. "I mean, Rapunzel seemed to…like it. I think it was good for her. She's not ready to say goodbye completely, but…" he trailed off. He didn't like thinking about how Rapunzel was still adjusted to the tower. It made him feel like he wasn't good enough for her, that she that wanted her old life back.

"I hoped that it would lessen the shock of her having to live here." The Queen stopped outside of a door that Eugene wasn't familiar with.

"Exactly. I think it worked. She seemed happy while she was there."

"That's good to hear," the Queen said, smiling. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to be off to. See you soon, Eugene."

Eugene nodded and watched her as she disappeared through the doorway. He breathed a sigh of relief once she was gone. That hadn't gone so bad. It seemed that he and the Queen both wanted the same thing – Rapunzel's happiness.

* * *

><p>"I…screwed it up," Rapunzel moaned, her head resting on Eugene's shoulder. She was sobbing gently. She had been trying to hold it back, but to no avail.<p>

"Shh, shh," Eugene muttered, stroking her hair. Rapunzel flinched, burying herself deeper against his doublet. "I'm sure it wasn't so bad." Rapunzel had just returned from one of her lessons. She had been practicing walking steadily by having to carry a jug of water flat on her palm. She had thought the skill was pointless and thus hadn't been trying very hard, and the water had ended up spilled on her teacher. Unsure what to do with herself, Rapunzel had apologized and ditched the rest of the lesson.

"They're never going to let me back again," Rapunzel whimpered. He could sense her disappointment. She was always very hard on herself, and he assumed he had none other than Mother Gothel to thank for that.

"Sure they will. Everyone here wants you to be the best princess you can be. They know you're going to make a lot of mistakes – "

"I thought you were supposed to be making me feel better," Rapunzel said.

Eugene raised an eyebrow and pulled back from her. "Well, geez, why don't you let me finish? What I was going to say was _they're willing to overlook your mistakes and help you no matter what_."

Rapunzel huffed in annoyance, her small arms wrapping around his torso. They were standing in his bedroom, Rapunzel having rushed in for comfort a few minutes earlier.

"I'm not going to dinner tonight," she said.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. I don't want to show my face around them."

Eugene sighed. She was so dramatic. She had always been that way, but it was getting annoying. "Fine," he said. "Then you and I will go to the kitchens together and get something to eat." He and Rapunzel were _supposed _to go to dinner every night, save for when there was important visitors over, but the King and Queen didn't seem to mind if they skipped every once in a while. Life in the castle was surprisingly casual most of the time – he wondered if they were just trying to make it easier on Rapunzel.

"And then afterward, we can come back here!" Rapunzel said, smiling. Her cheeks were wet with tears, so he smiled back and nodded.

"Yeah, maybe."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Rapunzel and Eugene sat at one of the tables in the kitchen, feasting on the leftover rolls and chicken. The cooks were all too busy cleaning up to pay attention to the two of them. "I hadn't realized how hungry I'd been lately," Rapunzel said, biting into her third roll.<p>

She noticed that Eugene looked displeased. "I've just been busy, you know," she said. "And as you know I haven't been eating full dinners a lot recently."

"Sure," Eugene said, sighing.

Rapunzel felt much better now that than she had earlier, when the whole disaster with the water happened. She wished she could thank Eugene in some way – whenever she was alone with him, she didn't feel so sad. "Eugene," she said quietly, "it was really nice sleeping with you the other night."

Eugene had been drinking water and sputtered slightly – she hadn't meant it like _that_, but apparently he had been caught off guard. "Yeah, I thought it was, too," he said.

"We should do that more often," Rapunzel pondered, looking down at her food. Eugene had even said himself that he wanted to kiss her more. What was she turning into? Ditching her lessons, ditching dinners, and now wanting to do unladylike things with her boyfriend?

"Well, I hate to break this to you, babe," Eugene said, putting his elbows on the table, "but we, well, _can't_, exactly."

"Oh, I know," Rapunzel said. She remembered Eugene warning her before about "getting caught" – despite the fact that they had never done anything more than cuddle and kiss. He seemed very careful about the whole thing, which she supposed was a good sign, because she _knew _he wasn't like that with the other women he was with. "I'm just saying we _should._"

"Then, sure. We _should_," Eugene agreed, looking a bit exasperated. "But seeing as we're not allowed, you will be heading to your room at ten PM sharp. No exceptions."

It sounded fair enough.


End file.
